THE hugely-controversial Abingdon reservoir plan will be discussed at a public meeting.

The Wantage and Grove Campaign Group for sustainable development (WAGCG) has chosen to make the reservoir the key subject of its 2018 AGM on Thursday, April 26.

Derek Stork, chairman of the Group Against the Reservoir Development (GARD), will give an update on his group’s fight against the proposal.

Thames Water, which has been talking for years about creating a major reservoir on land between Abingdon, Steventon and East Hanney, revealed in February that it hopes to have the huge facility built and operating by 2043.

The size of Heathrow airport, the giant artificial lake would contain 150 million cubic metres of water.

Thames Water says the south east is already ‘seriously water stressed’ and about a quarter of the water it puts into supply is lost through leaks in its own pipes.

Looking ahead the firm warns the population it serves is set to grow by two million by 2045, but climate change means the UK seeing hotter, drier summers and less rain.

Having looked at ‘more than 200 options’ to increase supply, the company produced four ‘preferred options’, all of which include a new reservoir at Abingdon.

GARD have said Thames Water’s plan lacks evidence and misses alternative options.

The WAGCG AGM will be held at Wantage Methodist Church Hall starting at 7.30pm.